Atiya Mohamed

The Fort Still Stands

August 12, 2015 by Atiya Mohamed

“It’s amazing how 3941175557_5049417d99_o this fort still stands,” said a park ranger.

A Long Island park called Fort Totten just reopened after a year and a half of renovations. “Fort Totten looks better than before. The parking lot is cleaner, the benches look newer, and it definitely looks less gloomy,” said a nearby pedestrian.

The Dutch originally owned Fort Totten in 1639. Back in 1639, Fort Totten was just a peninsula. A year before Civil War began; Congress gave $15,000 for the building of the “Fort at Willet’s Point.”

In 2005, Fort Totten Park was opened to the public, but what was it before? In 1941, Fort Totten was made headquarters of the Anti- Aircraft Command of the Eastern Defense Command and in 1944; it became headquarters of the North Atlantic region of the Air Transport Command. Fort Totten is located at 422 Weaver Ave, Bayside, NY 11359.

Today, it is a park open to all viewing eyes. It is no longer used by the military. There’s a beautiful bridge made of rocks that goes out to the ocean. When walking out you can smell the seawater and see the clear ocean water. One of the park ranger said, “When I come here to work, I feel refreshed. The fresh scent of saltwater hits your nose and you just feel refreshed.”

There are two part at Fort Totten; the old headquarters and an open field area where you can relax and take in the fresh air. Both sides are open to the public. The old headquarters are the old buildings where soldiers planned their attacks and bunkered down during World War II.

The fort is magnificent, there were about four tunnels that led to different areas, but now only one tunnel is open, due to a shortage of workers. The tunnel is long and dreary made of stone and at the end of it is a bright path of sunlight.

Walking outside of the tunnel, you see an enormous fort. However, the fort is only two stories high. There is a long staircase that leads upstairs, it’s the only one you get use because the others are closed off. The staircase is dark and spooky like, but upstairs, there’s a wide-open space filled with non- working cannons and stone.

Fort Totten is a very beautiful park. It is clean, it smells nice, and it is very historic. If you ever want to go somewhere historical, go to Fort Totten.

People go to Fort Totten to see the fort, the bridge made of rocks, the park, and to see their child play soccer games. Recently Fort Totten added a pool area and a soccer area for everyone. The soccer area is mainly used by kids who play in soccer teams and the pool is opened for everyone.

Changes in Photo Technology at LTI-Lightside

August 6, 2015 by Atiya Mohamed

Technology is developing rapidly and has made quite a huge impact. A New York City photo developing company named LTI- Lightside has been through many changes because of technology.

LTI- Lightside opened in the 1980s and in those days mostly focused on processing slide film, which was the industry standard for professional photography at the time. This has changed with digital photography.

August Pross, the owner of LTI Lightside, said that these days, LTI- Lightside, offers a wide range of services to photographers and their clients. It processes film (color, negative slides and black and white), makes color and black & white prints from negatives, scans film to make digital files, color corrects and retouches digital image files using software like Photoshop, makes inkjet and photographic prints from digital files, and provides framing services.

Mr. Pross said, “Basically we help photographers with every stage of the photographic process after they take the picture. We can take their image and deliver a framed and mounted print suitable for exhibition in a gallery or museum or deliver a fully retouched and formatted file to a magazine for print in a news story or as advertising. Sometimes we are the photographer too, using cameras instead of scanners to copy images and make digital files.”

Mr. Pross added, “Digital photography has changed the industry tremendously and our company is no exception. In the past, when everything was shot on film, every photographer needed a lab with the people and equipment necessary to process their film and make prints. Developing film is a sensitive process and it doesn’t take much to ruin someone’s negatives forever. Now that almost all photography is digital, photographers don’t use labs as frequently…. Computers have increased people’s productivity to the point where one person can do tasks that used to require many people and as a consequence the photo industry employs far fewer people than it once did.”

With all these changes to the photo technology world, profits for LTI- Lightside have decreased. Shrinking profits have been a problem across the industry as the technology to produce photographs has become more widely available. August Pross believes that LTI will stay in business because the workers are friendly and hardworking people.

Seafood Comes to Shore

July 30, 2015 by Atiya Mohamed

Did you ever go to a restaurant where they served poor quantity seafood? Well, at Popei’s Clam Bar, you will not have to worry about that. Popei’s Clam Bar is a family friendly restaurant. Everyone is welcome and the food is affordable. At Popei’s, the seafood is fresh and fulfilling.

The moment you walk in, the sensational aroma flows through your nasal cavity and a cheerful smile greets you. The hostess quickly writes your name down and tells you how long you have to wait. I suggest you go early or make a reservation because it can be a long wait. When your table is finally ready, the hostess briskly sits you down and hands you a menu. Popei’s is a casual restaurant and you can hear the seagulls crying, since it is so close to the water.

The moment you sit, a waiter brings a small basket of bread. The bread is light, flaky, and airy. Then another waiter comes and takes your order. You can ask the waiter questions about the food and they will answer to the best of their ability. A dish that is fit for a seafood lover is “Linguine with the Works,” it comes with mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamari, scungilli, clams and crab legs served over linguine with marinara sauce. Another favorite is “The Sebastian,” it comes with a classic shrimp a la vodka, a 6oz lobster, it can served with baked potato, linguine, fries or tossed house salad.

The food is seasoned with balanced flavors of sweet, salty, and spicy that makes your mouth water. Most of the meals comes with a small portion of pasta. If you are not a seafood fan, that’s okay. Popei’s has food for “land lubbers” too. One of the most popular land dishes is the “Shell Steak,” it comes with a 14oz tender cut beef and is served with a baked potato, linguine, fries, or a tossed house salad.

Popei’s is the perfect place for your birthday because they will sing their special happy birthday song and give you a free cake with ice cream on the side.

Popei’s Clam Bar is a restaurant where seafood comes to shore. If you are ever in the mood for real seafood, go to Popei’s.